53997: The Barn and the Down

<p dir="ltr"> It stood in the sunset sky<br> Like the straight-backed down,<br> Many a time---the barn<br> At the edge of the town,<br> So huge and dark that it seemed<br> It was the hill<br> Till the gable's precipice proved<br> It impossible.<br> Then the great down in the west<br> Grew into sight,<br> A barn stored full to the ridge<br> With black of night;<br> And the barn fell to a barn<br> Or even less<br> Before critical eyes and its own<br> Late mightiness.<br> But far down and near barn and I<br> Since then have smiled,<br> Having seen my new cautiousness<br> By itself beguiled<br> To disdain what seemed the barn<br> Till a few steps changed<br> It past all doubt to the down;<br> So the barn was avenged.<br></p>